Fresh start for acid attack survivor on first day at a Delhi University college

A 17-year-old acid attack survivor attended her first day of college after a nine-month ordeal. She made new friends but chose not to disclose the attack yet.

She was greeted by her two cats, and her excited parents when she reached home on Monday. The 17-year-old was back after attending her first day in college, and her family couldn’t wait to hear all about her day. As the family sat in the living room of their Dwarka flat, the BA (Economics) student told her parents about the three new friends she made, about the massive canteen in her college, and all about her first lecture.

All set for a new beginning. (HT Photo)

This could be a scene from the house of any teenager’s first day at college. But for this 17-year-old, Monday was extra special — a stalker attacked her with acid in December 2022, and for several months, she and her family were not sure whether she could even make it to college. Now, she is the first in her immediate family to go to college.

On December 14, the 17-year-old, then in Class 12, was on her way to school with her younger sister, when two bike-borne men threw an acid-like substance at her near the Dwarka Metro station in south-west Delhi, an attack that was caught on CCTV. Three men were arrested in connection with the case, that sparked outrage in the city.

As a result of the attack, the girl suffered 8% burns and underwent treatment at Safdarjung hospital.

HT is not revealing her name or the name of her college to protect the girl’s identity at the family’s request.

Recalling the immediate aftermath of the attack, the teenager said that for the first three days, she could not open her eyes. “At the time, I did not imagine going to college in a few months...”

“She was crying a lot, we were both scared for her future... We are still scared but we try to give her hope.” Her younger sister, 13, was “shocked” and her brother, 9, could barely understand what happened. When she was in the ICU, another acid attack survivor, Laxmi, met them and told the family that it would all be okay eventually.

After being advised to stay indoors for six months to avoid heat exposure, she missed her pre-boards and Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). She appeared for her board exams, where she scored 80%, after which she appeared for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET).

In the last leg of the admission process, she faced issues with her economically weaker section (EWS) certificate. Her father said, “There was a discrepancy in the EWS certificate, as it was in my name. We had only two days to rectify it... we reached out to the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) who helped us.”

Monday was her shot at a “fresh start” — her first day in a Delhi University college — after going through a nine-month ordeal following the attack on her. Her father dropped her off at the Metro station, after which she was all on her own.

Dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, with headphones around her neck, she entered college at 8.30am. The scars on her left hand and at the nape of her neck could not be seen. She was amazed at the size of the college and the number of students.

By 10.30am, she had made her first friend. And that is when she started feeling settled. Soon, she was her chatty, confident self.

“I made new friends but I decided not to tell anyone about the attack on me yet. If they ask, I will tell them. Today was a new beginning for me so I did not bring it up,” she said.

Well-versed with the route home, she will now travel to and from college alone.

As she walked home through Dwarka’s narrow alleys on Monday, she pointed to a jewellery shop. “This is where it had happened... The people in the juice shop behind it came and helped me...”

The girl said the attack has left an impact, and she still fears for her younger sister’s safety.

After she reached home, her father heaved a sigh of relief. Her mother told her, “Your father was quite worried all day...”

Back in her room, decorated with photos of close friends and family strung on fairy lights, she said she was grateful to have support when she needed it.